“E-learning” has become a popular term in management circles.

Leaders may be asking themselves, "What are the advantages of E-learning over the training we've been doing for years?"  Here’s some insight on what E-learning could do for your business or non-profit organization.

It's great for learners (students).

• Convenient: Learners can access E-learning virtually any time and at any place.
• Self-paced: Because of increased accessibility to training, learners can work through courses at their own pace and revisit challenging material.
• Empowering: Learners have direct access to information they need to do their jobs well. This leads to greater job satisfaction since it can help curb stress and frustration.
• Encouraging: Online mentoring and other social networking tools can be easily integrated into online courses, allowing learners  access to people who have "been there done that" and can offer advice. Also, learners are able to seek support from others who are experiencing similar challenges.
• Captivating: E-learning can be fun, interesting, and inspiring. Learners have the opportunity to learn from multiple mediums (audio, videos, still images, and interactive activities), and thus have access to the delivery methods best suited to their individual learning styles. Interfaces and course materials can be specifically designed to appeal to learners' interests.

It's great for businesses and organizations.

• Scalable: Organizations can reach a broader audience using online training than by sponsoring a single event.
• Replicable: Organizations can use the same training over and over again, which reduces future spending.
• Adaptable: Digital content can be updated quickly and usually at a much lower cost than print materials since there is no need to reprint and re-ship new training packages.
• Assessable: Organizations can track progress, performance and results using E-learning tools. Proper assessment tools help organizations track their Return on Investment (ROI) and make informed training and budgeting decisions.
• Consistent: Organizations can be assured that learners are looking at and working from the latest versions of courses.
• Efficient: Updated online materials are distributed to learners immediately, saving time and money.
• Productive: Investing in your team's skills and performance shows them that you care about their success. This can lead to a happier workforce that is more productive, efficient, and proficient.
• Motivating: Learning doesn't have to be boring. E-learning allows curriculum developers to include audio, videos, images, interactive activities, and immediate feedback to add interest and facilitate better understanding of the material.

All of these things help businesses be more competitive, save money, and ensure high quality products and services.

Written by:

Laura Moreno & Samantha Nienow

Learn more about Laura, and the rest of the LearningChange team, by visiting The Team page.